


beneath the rubble, i am home [original character mini-fics]

by doodledove



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Red Dead Redemption (Video Games), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-19 02:42:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29992689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doodledove/pseuds/doodledove
Summary: stolen from my wattpad hah.





	beneath the rubble, i am home [original character mini-fics]

**Author's Note:**

> i have a self insert for so many fandoms but how else do i get therapy ?? also yes, i am grimeyspider on wattpad, i have permission

His lungs burn, aching with each rough breath and chest pounding with each shambling step he takes. Black spots his vision like fireflies swarming around his head in a halo, fluttering about, clouding his vision until all he sees is red. Red, and a shadow searching the corridor, frantic and worrisome as he trips over his own feet.

Judas speaks but no words come out. Nothing but a violent cough as ash fills his throat and leaves him rasping. He collapses into arms he knows well, giving way to the smoke that drowns him. And he's dragged through the doors of a church in flames before being thrown to the ground.

His back hurts but he says nothing. Judas breathes in, shakily, and turns his head.

Huckleberry coughs violently beside him, leaning on their elbows while they practically cough their throat raw. The moment that blood shows, they force themselves to stop, and they look at Judas with a crazed expression. He has blood on him - not his, thankfully, but blood nonetheless. If not for the shit-eating grin plastered across his face, Huckleberry would worry, but they don't.

"You're - _fuck_ \- you're a sick fucking bastard, Judas," they choke out, coughing into their sleeve while Judas does the same. He tries to level his breathing when he laughs but that only worsens his cough. Huckleberry doesn't help when he doubles over and nearly hacks until he's passed out.

Even after that, he's still laughing.

"You - you keep saving me, you know that?"

"I know, I should find a better fucking - _shit_ \- fucking hobby," Huckleberry says while standing up. They wobble on their legs, lightheaded from the strain of smoke tainting their throat. But their words are far from hurtful to Judas. After the first few weeks, it's become a friendly banter, and if they hadn't sworn and scolded him then perhaps he truly had gone too far.

"You gonna help me up?" Judas asks when they whistle painfully, squinting his eyes to better see them. Huckleberry calls over their horse and it settles in front of them calmly - though, rightfully, it is hesitant to near the burning building. " _Huck_?"

He almost thinks they're mad until they reach down and grab him by the forearms, heaving him up onto his feet. Judas leans against them for a moment and the proximity makes him flutter. He's sure it's only his own heart that does, but truthfully, he likes to think theirs does too.

"I thought you were going to die," they admit while helping him toward Crowley. Huckleberry helps Judas onto the saddle and they let him adjust, keeping him steady as another coughing fit hits him. "You never tell me when you're going to do stuff like this and- look, _I get it_ , you've done this for years but I haven't. I didn't know if you were going to walk out that door alive or if I was gonna have to go in after you and- it fucking _terrifies_ me."

"I'm sorry."

"You're not," they say. Judas knows they're right, and they do too.

He's never had a partner besides Maple and even then he refuses to let her join on the more dangerous of bounties - like this one. The only partners he's had have been people with just as many reckless tendencies as he has. But Huckleberry is far different. Reckless, sure, but calculatedly reckless. It's a hand-crafted chaos he never knew could be a thing until now. Danger in all of its worst and best ways, and far less likely to bring death than it is to simply cause a bit of havoc in towns.

He's never feared losing something other than his faithful companion, not even his own life. But they fear it. And he knows they do because why else would they continue to save him from himself?

"Just.. tell me next time," they say in a low voice before clicking their tongue, helping Crowley along the path. Judas eyes them as they follow beside the stallion. Huckleberry stares at the toes of their boots, kicking along stones, thinking about something that Judas can't quite understand.

For thirty minutes, they walk under the heat of the sun in silence beside Crowley and Judas, refusing to speak. Or forgetting to. He's noticed that they do this often when he worries them. Ignoring him for hours, though not entirely on purpose.

He chalks it up to be their way of punishing his acts but Huckleberry has never confirmed it to be so. Judas knows better anyways. Their thoughts is what keeps them occupied and he knows just what plagues their mind this time around. His third stupid idea since the incident involving the crazed serial killer he'd been tasked to find in the swampland. Naturally, Huckleberry followed him, wanting to do something other than laze about.

He realized that day that no matter what idiotic choice he made, they are kind enough to save him from it. And perhaps it has gotten to his head but for once someone cares for him. For once, someone is there to protect him as he protects others. For once, someone cares enough to quite literally undo his mistakes in split seconds.

Judas realizes how cocky he's become.

"You both look like shit," Lenny says as the two drag into camp. Huckleberry gives no response while hitching Crowley and leaving Judas to climb down on his own.

They've already sulked to their tent by the time he's climbed down safely, far from where he is and in an unfamiliar place to him. Judas clears his throat while following where he's sure they went. At last, he finds their tent, closed. He dives beneath the opening and finds them looking through the mirror at the violent burn on the back of their left shoulder, brushing their thumb over the marred skin, whining and mumbling at the brief pain.

Carefully, he settles in front of Huckleberry while softly running his hand along the edge of the burn. It's soothing but not enough to ease the tension.

"I meant it," Judas says quietly while resting his chin on their unharmed shoulder, a frown evident on his face. "I'm sorry."

"Sometimes, I really want to punch you."

He laughs, but the ash in his lungs still aches and he represses a cough instead. It takes a minute for the cough to subside entirely. Judas pulls away after and before he can say another word, their hand has guided him by the chin into a momentary kiss that lets his worries fade. It ends quickly but he doesn't complain. Any longer and both of them would be coughing messes again, which is less than pleasing.

For a moment, Judas lets them hold him. It doesn't bother him but he knows that it isn't only to feel, it's to check. To be sure he isn't withering away in front of them. And as reckless as he is in front of them, he would never let Huckleberry experience such a thing from his actions.

Huckleberry traces a circle over his cheek before sighing, resting their head on his shoulder, straining not to cough. He can tell by the way their lungs whistle - like a croak rather than a sigh.

"I've lost.. _so much_ ," they say in a voice quieter than a whisper. Judas can hear the hesitance, it only shows how truly afraid they are. He can tell - and he doesn't like that it's become so obvious to him. "And I _really_ don't want to lose you too."

"You won't," Judas replies softly, letting them calm. "If anything, I should be afraid of losing you. You can barely read a map." He means no harm by it and they know, laughing, although painfully.

"You're real annoying," they say.

"But you still love me," Judas adds while they cough again, doing their best not to laugh. Huckleberry shakes their head. But he knows what they truly mean. He always does - it's only in his nature by now.


End file.
